Buffalo Wild Wings among first to get Game Changer Ale from Redhook

By: Mary Vanac

The Columbus Dispatch - July 03, 2013 04:49 PM

Buffalo
Wild Wings, which got its start in Columbus three decades ago, will try to improve its beer
profit margins by introducing a craft beer in collaboration with a Washington brewer later this
month.

Redhook Brewery in Woodinville, Wash., is
planning a nationwide debut of its pale ale, called Game Changer Ale, on July 15, including at more
than 925 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants.

“Wings and sports go hand-in-hand, and we know there is demand for a good, flavorful draught
beer to complement the two,” Andy Thomas, president of Redhook owner
Craft Brew Alliance, said
in a statement.

In its first-quarter
earnings conference call, Portland, Ore.-based Craft Brew Alliance said Game
Changer is Redhook's first collaboration with Buffalo Wild Wings, which could help the brewer forge
a stronger connection with cross-over craft beer drinkers.

“Redhook Game Changer was created for that purpose," Thomas said. "It’s an approachable craft
beer that’s not too heavy or too high in alcohol so people can enjoy drinking it responsibly over
the course of a whole game."

Buffalo Wild Wings, based in Minneapolis, which offers more than 50 brands of beer, including 30
craft beers, intends to sell more craft beers, citing favorable price points and growing popularity
among consumers,
according to Nation's Restaurant News, a trade publication.

“We’re all about wings, beer and sports, and we are always looking for new offerings to enhance
the guest experience at our restaurants,” Kathy Benning, the restaurant chain’s executive vice
president of global marketing, brand and business development, said in the brewing company's
statement.

“Our guests, above all, are sports fans, and they’re looking for that social environment to
enjoy the game with their friends," Benning said. "We’re excited to offer the Game Changer, knowing
that it was created with them in mind.”